Bringing exceptional talent at an affordable cost is a long standing tradition at the Greeley Stampede. One way that we do this is with the popular Park Stage sponsored by Extraction Oil & Gas, which offers free concerts with park admission every day. Not only is the Park Stage an excellent platform for local and national up-and-coming artists to help build a fan-base, it is also a place to see well known acts that headline the series. The headlining acts for 2019 have been finalized, so mark your calendars and be sure to come out for these amazing talents.
Bringing his strong mixture of southern rock energy and East Texas charm is Koe Wetzel on June 27. Koe began performing at an early age. Overnight, he had what seemed like an immediate fan base in his home state. He has since brought together this band and hit the road touring heavily. As the band continued to play shows, Koe began writing in between performances. Bringing personal experience and inspiration from others to life with a melody was second nature to the young artist, “Being able to connect with an audience, or a fan, because they feel like they can relate to your lyrics is one of the coolest experiences in the world. There's no greater feeling than hearing that your lyrics or your song mean something to someone.”
Joining us at the Stampede July 3rd with three No. 1 singles, including “Crazy Girl”, is the Eli Young Band. The Eli Young Band has always been unique in modern Country music – a true band of brothers who play their own instruments, write their own songs and cling fast to their Texas roots. They’d even go so far as to call themselves “misfits,” but with their fourth major label album, FINGERPRINTS (The Valory Music Co.), they’re finally embracing what makes them different once and for all. “With 17 years of experience comes a little bit of wisdom and freedom in knowing who you are,” says lead singer Mike Eli. “And what you’re really good at.” Although their sound has evolved over time, what they’re good at has always been the same – organic, live-show focused Country dripping with authenticity and perfected in clubs, amphitheaters and stadiums from coast to coast.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire — and with New Smoke Show, country artist Kimberly Dunn is ready to ignite the Greeley Stampede July 4th. The 11-track album, produced by Grammy Award winner Chad Carlson (Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood), should mark Dunn’s explosion into mainstream music, after several years of burning up the charts in her native Texas. Her attitude is summed up in “Stand on It,” the album’s third track. “I don’t walk the line, I dance on it,” Dunn sings. “I don’t fit in a box. … I stand on it.” The album defiantly shows off all of Dunn’s various musical influences — country, pop and rock ‘n’ roll. “What I’ve learned over time that I have to be true to myself, and in being true to myself, I have to pay attention to all of the music I grew up listening to — rock ‘n’ roll, pop, classic country, bluegrass.” But above all else, Dunn is thrilled that New Smoke Show will translate into even more high-energy stage performances for the fans. “I feel so much more comfortable on stage with the new album material in the set alongside our favorites from Forever on the Run. The show is more fun than ever and the more comfortable the band and I are on stage, the more fun it is for the audience,” she says. “The cool thing is we can only go up from here!” Sounds like The New Smoke Show is heating up and we can wait to watch her light it up on tour this year.
Country music fans will be amazed by the July 5th Park Stage Headliner, Lonestar. Known for merging their country roots with strong melodies and rich vocals, Lonestar, comprised of Richie McDonald (lead vocals), Michael Britt (lead guitar & backing vocals), Keech Rainwater (drums), and Dean Sams (keyboards & backing vocals), has amassed RIAA-certified sales in excess of ten million album units since their national launch in 1995, and achieved ten #1 country hits including "No News," "Come Crying To Me," and their crossover smash "Amazed" (which was also #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first record since 1983's "Islands in the Stream", to top both charts). The band's awards include a 1999 ACM Single of The Year for "Amazed" (the song also won the Song of the Year award), and the 2001 CMA Vocal Group of the Year.
Finishing the Park Stage headliners lineup on July 6th is Journey tribute band, Resurrection. Setting out to create the most authentic Journey experience anyone has ever witnessed, the band has spent countless hours discussing the look, sound, production, and FEEL needed for this Journey tribute to deliver a live experience that would resonate on the highest level with the most avid Journey fan. On March 10, 2014, at Gray's on Main in Franklin, TN, the band struck its first notes in front of a live audience. The response quickly validated the passion founding members Vic and Ryan had poured into the project for half a year and cemented the reality that this was going to be much more than a rehearsal to cover two shows scheduled for Branson Landing that summer. Just one month later, the band sold out legendary Nashville music performance hall, 3rd & Lindsley, for its first full-length performance, and the response from those attending was spectacular. The band has been on a whirlwind journey ever since, growing quickly from a weekend-warrior act into one of the most highly sought after tribute experiences in the country.
2019 Park Stage Headliners
June 27 Koe Wetzel
July 3 Eli Young Band
July 4 Kimberly Dunn
July 5 Lonestar
July 6 Resurrection – A Journey Tribute
More great music to come! A complete list of bands performing on the Park Stage will be available soon. Join the Greeley Stampede on Facebook and Twitter for exclusive announcements, contests and up-to-date Stampede information.
ABOUT THE GREELEY STAMPEDE: The Greeley Stampede, a 501(c)4 nonprofit corporation, is the Colorado’s premiere summer western celebration. This longstanding event has grown in diversity and popularity since its inception and has provided music and rodeo entertainment to hundreds of thousands of people every summer. The Stampede was inducted in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2014 and the event was named 2015 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Mountain States Large Rodeo of the Year. In 2018, the Stampede was voted one of the USA Today’s Top 10 Rodeos as well as the iHeart Radio Rocky Mountain Country Music Awards Event of the Year. For more information about the Greeley Stampede visit www.greeleystampede.org.
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